big word

big word (plural big words)

1. An erudite word, especially a Latinate or multisyllabic one; a word used by scholars, intellectuals, etc., but that is not commonly known outside of academia.

   The customer complained that the instructions were incomprehensible, and our office tried to provide remedial help, but when they complained that "supplementary" and "atmospheric" were big words, we knew that they were beyond help.

   • 1860 October 19, The Mount Alexander Mail, page 6:

     The object of the writer is to show that preachers need not use big words to teach the truth.

   • 1965, James Holledge, What Makes a Call Girl?, London: Horwitz Publications, page 118:

     `Naturally society frowns on such capers, and your experts have to think up big words to keep their jobs.'

   • 1981, Harold Barrett, Practical Uses of Speech Communication‎, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, page 173:

     Communication can often break down if the terminology is too technical, if a speaker uses “big words” for their own sake and lets the language become overly complex.

   • 2007, Binoo K. John, Entry from Backside Only, page 97:

     The sudden interjection of big words or complicated usages is a clear instance of the writer taking outside advice[.]

2. (in the plural) Boastful or exaggerated statements.

   Synonym: big talk

   big words from a little man

   • 1888 July 13, The Petersberg Times, South Australia, page 4:

     Then you said in your paper that there was a paucity of variety and the length of the programme made the latter part to say the least rather monotonous. Now those are big words for a little chap like me, but I say they are very unfair and very misleading.

   • 1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 266:

     The big words were beginning to sound empty in his mouth.

• (boastful language): talk big

• (multisyllabic word): sesquipedalian